Chinchilla cage



Oct. 13, 1953 MILLER 2,655,129

CHINCHILLA CAGE Filed March 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5E we 44 /2 50 Fig. 10

LOUiS M H 19F JNVENTOR.

Oct. 13, 1953 L. MILLER 2,655,129

CHINCHILLA CAGE Filed March 7, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

54 272 M2? 234- M /50 \E36 Fig. 5.

Louis Miller JNVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED 2,655,129 CHINCHILLKCA'GET Miller Wathena, Kane. hitneaioemrtnv, 195i; shame. 214,265-

This invention relates to a: pen, -cage* or hous ing for animalsof thecostly fur bea'ringtype and particularly whe're animalsare raised for profit in the home, and in partich'la'r acornbination of coacting cages'where the animalsare locked in one cage while the other is cleaned: and treated, and wherein th'efyoung animals maybe retained in one cage'untrl theyare' partly grown.

The purposeof this invention is'to provide a complete cage) combination particularly adapted for raising chinchillas, that may be manu'fac tured and sold by quantityproduction, and that gives the inexperienced "operator the: most efficient typeof cage? Mated: chinchilla's; guaranteed by" professional dealers, are not only verycostlyf but'are'very delicate, and must be handlediwithxextreine'cautioni A cage built bytheiaverage layman may; therefore, prove a costly: experiment; With" this thought inmind this invention: contemplates a rectangular-shape housing having side and end walls, a, coverand' also a base, formedr-oi'x wire mesh with a catchwpan 'removably mounted below the base, and asimilarly formedhousing; preferably of asmaller size-positionedatone'end of the former housing andhavin'g communicating doors between the said housings;

The object of this invention is-,-therefore-,rto provide a cage or container for housing; two mated chinchillas, in which the parts are so arrangedthat the animals may-haveproper care and attention with. the leastpossible time and attention of anoperatbr "and'at the least possible cost.

Another object of the invention'is to: provide a combination animal cage in"'which each section of the cage may be cleanedan'd-sterilized while the animals are in theothe'r section;

A further obj ect' of the invention'is 'to provide an improved animal cage having two cooperative sections which isof a simple" and economical construction.

Other features'andadvantages of the-invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings; whereiny I Figure 1 is a frontelevational viewof the cage showing the two sectionsassembl ed a feed trough positioned in the lower part of the front panel. I I v x u 3", Figure 2 is an end'view ofthe' assembled sections with part broken "away showingpart the door between thetwo sectionsand also shownrg" the loop providing a handle'for operatingthe door. A a: Figure 3' is "a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale taken on line 3+3 of Figure 2, illustrating"the 'connecting'elements of the two sectio'nsiof; the{cage;-and withthe ends of the sections brokerrawa v.

Figureisi'a; crbssse'ction taken' on line" 4 4 ofFi'gure Ish'owing" theconstruction of the front wan Of the main cage with the feed t10llg h mounted therein and with the rear portion-of the cage briken away.

Figure his a sectional plarr throughthe connecting ends'fof the sectionsof the cage taken on line 5- 15 of Figure 3 illustrating the const'ruct'ion I of the dohrs andframing therefor.

Referrihgf-to the drawings wherein like reference "ch ract ers "dehote' corresponding parts the commuting-hashcage of this invention includes a mainwire mesh section It, an auxiliary section I 2 of plasti'corthe' like, a feed trough l4; and doors =l-fiand I385 I Ph 'e massage isformed vvith-a wire mesh front wall illja similarrear wall 22, end walls 25 and 2611 atop; orjco'ver' 28-, and'a base or floor 38. The "front wallis provided with angle iron corners 32 jan'd"34having -downwardly extended supporting endsf3'li and'li fifiandthe upper ends of the angles aren't-let ar icon c'ted with'an ang1e 4i) with-*a rodfl'con ti g'-=the" extendedlower ends.

The frohflwal covered with" wire mesh 44, the=iipper an-d lower edges} of which are mounted in channel's dfiand 4'flfrespectivlv, and the edges are held in similarchannels 5t and 52. The edges crane wire'jmesh of'the end wall 24' are held "in a similar channel'iron' rectangular-shape frame 54'; and the ch'annel's of the frame'are secures-ta the-corner posts by welding.

rhegw re'mesn pa'fiel 26 rermin the opposite erid o'f the mziin cage is formed, as illustrated in Figure3; with the upper edge mounted between angles rj56fafid58? arid thieflo'w er' edge is held against 'a n an'lglefifl we horizontal bar 62" which exter'ids outtvardly to-provide a seat for the auxiliary cage 'I'hd'ge ofth'epaneflt is secured to thec'o'rnefpos't"31 a?thefront, and the edge at the re'ar is -secu 'ed the; similar corner post 64, Thel'ntermdia'te'pal't 'of the parl'el 263s provided with do or 'open'ings 66ahd' 68 ,"and-f1'aine's l l] and 1'2 'whicharefchahneEsh'apein cross section; bind the edge's of thwire rnesh around the door openings. j

Angles 'similal to the-angles 56 and 53 eXte'nd' across the *erld's and baclcofthe cage I El" and the cover panel 28, also of wire mesh, is positionedon thehoriiontally disposedflanges l4 and lh of the angles 56* 'ar1d 58; with" abin'ding strip 18 positionetl on the edge'of thecover'paneh The edge 3 of the panel 28, at the front is supported by the angle 40 and the channel 46.

The wire mesh floor 30 of the main cage is provided with a continuous channel-shape frame 80, the ends and rear edge of which are held in an angle 82, and the drip pan 84, positioned below the floor, is supported at the ends by andies 86.

The door I6 of the front wall 20 is formed with a wire mesh panel 88 having a channel binding 90, and the door is positioned between spaced vertically disposed struts 92 and 94. A substantially U-shape plate 96 provides the feed trough I4 and this is positioned against an upper bar 98 and a lower bar I in the lower part of the door frame and between the struts 92 and 94. The bar I00 is slidably mounted in the channel 48, and the upper bar 98 is held by a latch bar I02, pivotally mounted at one end by a pin I04 on the frame. The opposite end of the latch bar I02 extends through a loop I05 and a notch I08 in the lower edge thereof drops over a pin IIO having a head H2. The inner wall of the feed trough is provided with an opening 96' that registers with the open space between the bars 98 and I00, and the open outer end of the trough is covered with a frame H4 having wire mesh therein.

The upper edge of the main cage is provided at the rear with clips H6 and H8 that are secured to the frame by bolts I and I22, and in the upper ends of the clips are screws or nails I24 and I26, respectively, for holding the cage to a beam I28 on a Wall I30, as shown in Figure 2.

The lower end of the cage is spaced from the wall by struts I32 positioned at suitable points thereon.

The auxiliary section or cage I2 is formed with an inner side wall I84, an outer side wall I36, an end wall I38 and a top I40. A clip angle or member I42 is secured to the lower edge of the inner wall I34 with the vertical leg thereof freely positioned in a groove I44 of an angle I46 carried by the outer edge of the bar 62. The wall I34 is also provided with door openings I48 and I50 that are positioned to register with the door openings 56 and 68 of the end panel 29 of the main cage, and a perch I52 is supported on the inner surface of the wall I34 by brackets I54, which position the perch just below the lower ends of the door openings.

The cage I2 is also provided with a wire mesh or foraminous floor I56 the edges of which are secured in a channel frame I58, and the edges of the frame I58 are mounted in angles I60, which slidably hold the floor whereby it may readily be removed and replaced. A drip pan I62 is also slidably supported in angles I64 on the inner surfaces of the side walls of the auxiliary cage.

The edges of the side walls I34 and I36 at the open end of the cage I2 are provided with recesses I66 and I68 that receive the edges of doors I10 and I12, which are connected by hinges I14 and I16 providing an end wall, the lower door I12 being held by cleats I18 attached to the edges of the side walls by screws I80, and the upper door I10 being held by a spring latch I82 that coacts with a keeper I84 that is secured to the outer surface of the door by a screw I86. By this means the doors are retained in the upper or closed position as shown in Figure 1, until released by the latch.

The perch I52 may be removed to facilitate cleaning the cage, the brackets I54 having downwardly extended tongues I88 that are removably the tracks I98 and 200.

held in sockets I90 on the inner surface of the wall I 34.

The cage I2 is suspended from the main cage with the angle I42 on the lower inner corner thereof slidably retained in the groove I44 and the upper end is held by a spring arm I92 havin a finger loop I94 on the outer end, which snaps over a projection or lug I96 on the upper end of the cage. The arm I92 is secured to the angle 58 on the upper edge of the end wall 26 of the main cage.

The door framing between the cages includes spaced parallel tracks I98 and 200 on the end wall 26 of the main cage and similar tracks 202 and 204 on the inner wall I34 of the cage I2. The tracks are channel shape in cross section and doors 208 and 2I0, which in the closed position register with the door openings 06 and 68 of the wall 26, are slidably mounted through the upper and lower edges thereof in the channels forming Similar doors 2I2 and 2I4 are slidably mounted, also through the upper and lower edges thereof, in the tracks 202 and 204 of the cage I2.

The upper edges of the doors 208 and 2I0 are connected by an upper arm 2I6 of a rod 2I8 formed to provide a loop or handle 220 that extends at the front of the cage, and the lower arm 222 thereof connects the lower edges. The inner ends 224 and 226 of the arms of the rod extend beyond the side of the door 2 I 0 to engage an outwardly extended flange of a vertically disposed angle 228 which is mounted on the outer surface of the end wall 26 and to which the ends of the tracks I98 and 200 are connected. The doors may, therefore, be moved to open and closed positions by the handle 220.

The doors 298 and 2 ID of the main cage I0 are provided with outwardly extended flanges 230 on the sides of the door 208, and 232 on the sides of the door 2 I0, and these flanges overlap corresponding flanges 234 of the door H2, and 236 of the door 2I4, as shown in Figure 5, whereby the doors of the cage I2 are actuated with the doors of the cage I0. When the cage I2 is disengaged from the cage I0 by releasing the latch provided by the spring arm I92 and the lug I96 the flanges of the doors separate whereby the doors remain in either the open or closed positions.

With the parts arranged in this manner both cages may be used together with the smaller cage used as a nest for the young animals and the animals may be retained in either cage while the other cage is cleaned and sterilized. Feeding and watering means, such as the feed trough I4 which is supported by pins 238 in notches 240 of outwardly extending arms 242 and 244, may also be provided for the auxiliary cage I2, if desired.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a chinchilla cage constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts therein, as shown and described, in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In an animal cage the combination which comprises a main wire mesh box-like section having spaced door openings in one end thereof, parallel tracks mounted on the end of the section in which the door openings are provided. and positioned at the upper and lower ends of the said openings, doors slidably mounted in said tracks, an auxiliary box-like section of the cage having spaced door openings in a side wall thereof positioned against the end wall of the main section in which the door openings are positioned, means removably suspending the auxiliary section from the main section, parallel tracks mounted on the side of the auxiliary section in which the door openings are positioned and located to correspond with the tracks of the main section, doors slidably mounted in the tracks of the auxiliary section, and means actuating the doors of the auxiliary section with the doors of the main section of the cage.

2. In an animal cage the combination which comprises a main wire mesh box-like section having spaced door openings in one end thereof, parallel tracks channel-shape in cross section, mounted on the end of the main section in which the door openings are provided and positioned above and below said openings, doors slidably mounted in said tracks, an auxiliary box-like section having spaced door openings in a side wall thereof positioned to register with the door open ings of the end wall of the main section, means mounting the auxiliary section on the main section with the door openings of the sections in registering relation, parallel tracks, channelshape in cross section, mounted on the side of the auxiliary section in which the door openings are provided and positioned to correspond with the tracks of the main section, doors slidably mounted in the tracks of the auxiliary section, and means actuating the doors of the auxiliary section with the doors of the main section.

3. In an animal cage, the combination which comprises a main wire mesh box-like section having spaced door openings in one end thereof, parallel tracks channel-shape in cross section positioned at the upper and lower ends of the door openings and mounted on the end of the said main section, doors slidably mounted in i the tracks and having outwardly extended flanges on the vertical side edges thereof, a loop providing a handle extended at the front of the main section and having arms connected to the upper and lower ends of the doors, an auxiliary flanges on the vertical sides thereof slidably mounted in the tracks of the auxiliary section and positioned with the flanges thereof extended between the flanges of the doors of the main section whereby the doors of the auxiliary section are actuated with the doors of the main section, a horizontal bar having a groove in the outer edge positioned on the end of the main section in which the door openings are positioned, a flange on the auxiliary section positioned in the said groove, and a spring latch extended from the said main section for engagement with the auxiliary section for retaining the auxiliary section in position on the end of the main section.

4. In an animal pen, the combination which comprises a main cage including a box-like frame having a base, a top, side and end walls, and a wire mesh covering, an auxiliary cage having a floor, a top, side and end walls, and a projecting lug on said top, a horizontally disposed bar mounted on the lower edge of one of the end walls of the main cage and extended from said wall, said bar having a groove in the extended edge thereof, a member mounted on the lower edge of the inner side wall of the auxiliary cage and extended into the groove of the horizontal bar, a spring arm extended from the main cage and positioned to snap over the lug of the auxiliary cage for retaining the inner side wall of the auxiliary cage in meeting relation with the end wall of the main cage on which said horizontal bar is positioned, said meeting inner side wall of the auxiliary cage and end wall of the main cage having laterally spaced registering openings therein, parallel tracks mounted on said meeting walls and positioned above and below said openings, pairs of connected doors slidably mounted in the tracks on the end wall of the main cage and inner side wall of the auxiliary cage, respectively, said doors on the inner side wall of the auxiliary cage having flanges extended from the vertical edges and the doors on the end wall of the main cage also having flanges extended from the vertical edges, said flanges of the doors on the end wall of the main cage overlapping the flanges of the doors on the inner side wall of the auxiliary cage whereby the doors of the auxiliary cage are actuated by the doors of the main cage, and means for actuating the doors of the main cage.

LOUIS IMHLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 405,008 Butterick June 11, 1889 849,433 Sprague Apr. 9, 1907 1,005,886 Ruff Oct. 17, 1911 1,196,483 Riggin et al. Aug. 29, 1916 1,843,141 Orth et a1. Feb. 2, 1932 1,857,246 Kleckner May 10, 1932 

